Chelzea

Oct 10, 2006

SIA's best trainee can't speak well. More training needed to upkeep airline's image

I attended a graduation ceremony recently for SIA cabin crew and I was disappointed at the level of language competency of the "Best Trainee" when she gave her speech to a diverse audience, which included visitors from abroad.
I cannot be more embarrassed and was saddened that she was unable to recite the SIA Pledge. She struggled to recall the words on stage until fellow crew members came to her rescue.

As a Singaporean, I take pride in having SIA as our national carrier, which is internationally recognised after winning many awards, one of which is the 'World's Best Cabin Service'.

I have been told of the rigorous selection process in recruiting the cabin crew and I believe they go through stringent tests in the four months' training provided by the company.

However, the incident appalled me and I wonder if that is the standard of commitment and proficiency that we should showcase to the world.

The Singapore Girl has an image to uphold. I hope that this incident will not happen again.

I urge the management to take action so as not to tarnish the company's reputation. Perhaps a course on personal confidence and speech competency can be included in the training.

If this is already part of the training, I hope that SIA will put more emphasis in this area. The ability to speak and react calmly will help in the delivery of service.

The Singapore Girl after all is a world class icon that we are proud to have.

Tizi Melissa Othman (Ms)

Source: ST Forum 10 Oct 06